A Very Merry New Vegas Christmas
by iwilltry-tocarryon
Summary: One-shot where after the heist in New Vegas, they returned instead of seeing Duncan at the end of the episode. Once back home, Bass realizes that he has to go back and takes Connor, but Charlie won't be denied a chance at taking a trip and getting away from her mother, even if it is close to Christmas (I can't remember the date in the episode, but in my world it's always Christmas)


They didn't get the mercenaries. They had barely gotten out of New Vegas in one piece, but eventually, thanks to Charlie, they all returned home. They didn't get the mercenaries though.

"Bass you know we need em, can't win this war without em," Miles said after a few minutes. He was grateful that they all were safe and back, but he had to be realistic about their chances of winning. Before with the addition of the mercenaries it was very slim odds, but without them, it was almost non-existent.

Bass' face remained blank when he looked at Miles. Obviously he knew that better than anyone else, he knew how to win wars and fight battles, but right now all he could focus on was they fact that they were okay. He was alive, his son was alive and didn't have to live with blood on his hands…and Charlotte, Charlotte was alive.

She was more than alive, she was the one that got them out of that mess, granted she also got herself shackled and…well, Bass wasn't really sure what happened to her during the time when he was teaching Connor how to kill him. All he knew was that Gould's greasy, dirty hands snatched her up, so it probably wasn't anything good.

"I'll go back in a few days, let the town mellow out, I'm sure Duncan has already taken over as ring leader of that shit show."

"I'll go with you this time, it wouldn't have happened if we weren't separated," Miles looked knowingly at him. He was right; they worked better when they were together. It was easier for them to get out of the shit they landed themselves in.

Bass was shaking his head, "no I'll take the kid again, I doubt Rachel would be too pleased at a boy's weekend."

Miles didn't say anything, but Bass didn't need him too, he already knew he was right.

Rachel would be thoroughly pissed at that arrangement. She would yell, cause a scene complete with insults and dramatic hand gestures, and Bass wasn't in the mood to hear her snippy voice.

Plus if he was being honest he didn't want Miles to go because he's the one that screwed this up. He should've been thinking more clearly, paying more attention. He wanted to go and fix the mess he created, by himself.

As though Miles knew what he was thinking, he nodded in agreement, even though he was less than fond of Connor going with him. The jury was still out on Connor, but something about him rubbed Miles the wrong way. Call it jealousy or instinct, whatever it was, it put him on edge.

By that time, Charlie had managed to get away from her mother who was going off on a tangent about how dangerous the trip was and how stupid of her it was to sign her own death warrant by going anywhere with Bass.

Truthfully she would've signed up on a journey with anyone at that point, just to escape her mother and the constant nagging. She didn't know how Miles did it; apparently he was deaf or was really good at blocking her out.

She noticed they were huddled together like they were exchanging some secret gossip, and it must've been because they hushed up as soon as she approached. Miles smiled at her and pulled her into a one armed hug, which she responded to, "Glad you're all in one piece kid, no thanks to this idiot."

Charlie beamed up at him, "it's ok I think I handled myself pretty well."

Miles laughed and nodded his head, while Bass' lips yearned to smile at her comment, she definitely handled herself well all right. "That's because you had me as your teacher, Bass said it was all your doing…getting them out."

For the first time since they got back, Charlie looked over at Bass, confirmation radiated in his eyes. She turned back to Miles and nodded.

"How did you manage that one?" He said it in an amused tone, but Charlie could read between the lines. He wanted to know what went down and exactly how much he needed to yell at her for not keeping her stupid to a minimum.

Unfortunately for him, Charlie wasn't about to incriminate herself and listen to yet another person lecture her about being careful. She just smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, "I can be just as charming and persuasive as you two."

Miles laughed, shaking his head, brown locks falling into place right above his eyebrows. Bass stood up from his position on the stump, sliding his blade back into the holster at his side, "better get the kid and get going if I'm going to make it there and back in a few days time."

Charlie's ears perked up at this, "go where?"

Neither of them answered her, a silent affirmation of the assumption she had already formed in her head.

He was going back to New Vegas, a place they had all just barely escaped with their lives, a place where the woman who was now probably in charge was not his biggest fan.

That wasn't what pissed Charlie off the most though, even though she did just save their lives by putting hers on the line. What pissed her off was the fact that he asked Connor to go, but not her, when it was her that saved the day in the first place.

She felt like she was getting very little recognition of her skills and abilities, minus the fact that he told Miles it was all her doing. "I'm going too."

Determined, she already turned her back on them, walking back so she could collect her stuff, but Miles caught up to her quick, "Charlie I don't really think this is a good idea. I know you saved their ass, but I also know you must've done something stupid to land yourself back there."

He knew Bass better than anyone else, and Rachel could spin her web of lies about him as far and wide as she wanted, Miles knew Bass would keep Charlie away from the immediate threat. So if she ended up back there, it was of her own doing.

"You don't trust Connor anymore than I do," she saw the truth behind her statement in Miles' eyes which encouraged her to continue, "and you can't go yourself without mom going ape shit on you. But I can go, and I can handle myself—"

He cut her off mid statement, "I know you can kid that's not why…" he ran his hand through his hair in agitation. She knew she was right, he knew she was right, and he couldn't think of a logical reason.

It was a damn good plan, but Rachel still wouldn't like it, "fine but you have to tell your mother because it's your plan."

He smiled sweetly at her when she just glared, "I'll send her a postcard when I get there."

Sashaying her hips as she walked away, she gathered up her stuff and threw it on the back of the wagon where Connor was lying. He just raised his eyebrow at her, not granting him a response. Instead she went around to the front of the wagon and hopped up on the bench, waiting for Monroe.

When he saw the back of her glorious, luxurious golden locks hanging down to her lower back, he knew that he was in deep shit. There would be no way of talking her out of this trip, but the last thing he wanted was a repeat and something bad happen to her.

He tossed his stuff next to hers in the back and climbed up on the wagon, gripping the reigns tightly, "listen last time you got lucky getting out of there so it's best not to test your luck kid."

Casually, he tried to toss in the word 'kid' to remind himself of her relation to Miles and her age, but Charlie could tell it was a forced nickname. It didn't roll off his tongue like it did with Miles; instead it got caught at the end and tumbled off.

She scoffed, "I got lucky? More like you were lucky I was there, besides maybe I did it all on purpose."

When Bass raised his eyebrow at that statement she continued, "ok maybe it wasn't on purpose, but you obviously fucked Duncan over, left her high and dry or some shit like that. Do you really think she'll help you before she'd help me?"

Again, she was right, practically saving her life last time had to count for something when they went back. Duncan wouldn't let something like that go unrecognized. Plus she wasn't Bass' biggest fan, and knowing her reason, he couldn't blame her.

All he did was sigh, which indicated to Charlie that he wasn't going to fight her anymore about her going, but that didn't mean her mother wouldn't.

"Charlie, were you not listening to a word I said before? One time on a trip with him was bad enough, do you really think twice is a good idea?" She heard her mother's voice bellowing through as she marched up to where the wagon was parked, Miles close behind her wearing an apologetic face.

"I'm going mom," she tried to muster up as much of a stern voice as she could, leaving no room for arguments.

But Rachel could always find a way to weasel her way into one, "it's Christmas in two days, don't you want to be with your family?"

Bass snorted, rolling his eyes beside of Charlie, leave it to Rachel to bring up family and duties as a persuasion. Charlie however wasn't budging, "we haven't celebrated Christmas for years mom." She turned to Bass, "we should probably get going."

He knew she was trying to encourage him to take off now, but he waited until he saw Miles' non-verbal communication telling him it was alright to leave and that he would deal with Rachel, who was still bitching as they drove off.

Charlie didn't look back or talk the majority of the trip. She just sat there in the front, elbows leaning against the back, feet propped up on the front, while Connor slept.

Bass looked back there every now and again, but each time he was only met with Connor's dropping head and the loud snoring sounds that came from his mouth.

"What's the last Christmas that you remember," he finally said in order to break the silence. He was used to silence from her, especially on long trips, but he thought they were becoming, sort of friends, or at least she didn't hate him entirely anymore. Talking was normal between friends right? Bass wouldn't really know, his friends never talked, not freely to him anyway, they feared him.

Charlie though, she was different, she talked all right and she didn't hold anything back. "In the village, it was the Christmas dad got me a bow."

Bass was surprised, he figured she would mention one from her childhood, he didn't know if people still made a big deal out of it anymore. He repressed most of his memories, but from what he could remember, he never really did anything Christmas related during his presidency. Christmas wasn't his favorite holiday anyway.

"What's the last one you remember?"

"I don't really remember any." His eyes remained fixed forward as he sped up, trying to make it to New Vegas a little quicker. He was lying, of course he was, he remembered plenty of them, but he didn't want to bring any of them up. If he had known she was going to play the game with him, he would've asked a totally different question.

He couldn't see her out of his eye due to his blind spot, but he didn't need to see her actual body to know that she was peering at him, "okay then."

Letting the subject drop, she turned back to stare at the road ahead of them. Bass was never more thankful for her not probing and inquiring further. She was good at respecting space, unless it was something particularly interesting to her, then she was like a leech.

Connor's sleepy voice spoke up from the back, "are we almost there?"

Charlie bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. Leave it to Connor to be the annoying whiny one on the trip, which in the beginning had been Charlie's role.

"Yeah we'll be there by nightfall at least," was Bass' short, terse answer.

For the rest of the trip, all three of them fell into a comfortable silence; the only sound that could be heard was the clacking of hooves against the dirt road, tossing pebbles up as they trotted towards New Vegas.

Somewhere along the way there Charlie's own head started to flop. Bass could see that she was fighting sleep for a few miles. But eventually she lost that fight, eyes fully closing, breathing slowing down as her head slowly descended until it laid comfortably on Bass' own shoulder.

He held his breath for the first few minutes, expecting her to instantly wake up and snap at him for not pushing her away, but after awhile when he realized she was out cold he relaxing, exhaling.

The warmth of her body and its close proximity, mixed with the scent that could only be described as Charlie, stirred up something inside Bass. Feelings he didn't know he still had.

He shook those feelings off, there was no way Charlie would ever see him as anything but a monster who took her family away, and why should she?

Light emitted from the torches shone in Bass' vision a couple hours later, along with annoyingly loud voices coming from one of the multiple bar fights that always broke out in New Vegas.

Gripping the reigns in one hand, he pulled back gently on the horses to slow the wagon down. Connor was unfazed at the change in speed, but Charlie instantly felt it, her body on constant alert.

She sprung up from her seat, but Bass placed a calm hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down before she accidentally jumped from a moving wagon, "I just slowed down because we're here."

She shrugged off her hand and resisted the urge to blush when she realized that she had been sleeping on Monroe the whole rest of the trip. Placing some distance in between them, she moved over on the bench, while he just silently smiled at her actions.

Connor chose that perfect moment to wake up, groaning as he stretched his arms above his head.

"Good nap there sleeping beauty," Bass teased him, but Connor just rolled his eyes at the question.

"Oh yeah, I was starting to ask myself why people even had beds when the back of a wagon was so much more comfortable," sarcasm oozed from his mouth, and Bass chuckled, Connor was very much like him and almost nothing like Emma.

Leading the wagon into town he passed a lot of very familiar faces, only this time they knew him as Sebastian Monroe, and not Jimmy King. For this reason alone he felt a lot more exposed, more vulnerable.

The horses complied easily when he guided them over towards an inn and dismounted the wagon, "stay here, I'll go see if there are any rooms available."

Before either of the two could protest he was out of sight, taking the steps two at a time in order to avoid their arguments.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jimmy King, or do you prefer President Monroe?"

He winced at the term 'president,' he hadn't been that in a long time, and even when he was he wasn't a big fan of titles.

Turning around he came face to face with the owner of the inn who he saw often at the fights, "just Bass will do, do you have any rooms available…just for the night?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds; Bass knew that the people there were not thrilled with him being back in general, but especially not now they knew his true identity. "I don't have any rooms here, but I think your trailer is still sitting where you left it. I don't think anyone's claimed it."

Bass nodded in gratuity as he exited the door, going back to where the horses stood. He took the reigns, "change of plans, no rooms here but my trailer is still around back and there's room for us all." He tied the reigns against the post outside, rubbing along the horses' nose.

Connor had already hopped off the wagon, bag in hand awaiting direction on where to go to next, while Charlie was taking her sweet ass time.

Once Bass had finished petting the horses and getting them food and water, he grabbed his stuff, leading them to the trailer, but Charlie was two steps ahead. He called out to her curiously, "how do you know where my trailer is?"

Now at her side, she turned briefly to look at him and simply shrugged, "remember the girl who wanted to see you that night you got taken by bounty hunters?"

The rest of the story wasn't needed. Bass recalled that night like it was yesterday, and now that he thought about it he distinctly remembered an arrow flying past him and just missing his head thanks to those bounty hunters.

Charlotte Matheson had actually tried to kill him and would've succeeded had it not been for them. For some reason, Bass felt a pang in his heart at the acknowledgement of that fact, and Charlie could tell when she looked at him, her face softening. Connor however just seemed amused at the story.

Maybe at that time she did want him dead, and maybe some part of her still did, but a more prominent part was voluntarily with him right now and saved his life before.

Bass entered the trailer first, tossing his stuff down on the bed, everything exactly as he left him. He rolled his eyes as Connor entered with a disgusted face; clearly he was used to better things. Charlie didn't care, she wasn't picky, she had been in far worse places. She stepped in and tossed her bag on the floor.

It became aware in that moment that there was only one bed, and one couch, which meant that someone would have to share. Seeing the computation in her head, Bass stepped in to save her the trouble, "you can take the bed, and Connor can sleep on the couch, I'll take the floor."

He left no room for any of them to argue, but he highly doubted Connor would anyway; it was always Charlie he had to worry about.

She wanted to be treated like an equal and not be given special privileges because she was a girl or because she was Miles' niece, but honestly Bass would've given her special privileges anyway just because she was Charlie.

"I'm going to talk to Duncan now so just sit tight," he barely got the words out, placing his hand on the metal door of the trailer to push it open before he heard her protesting from behind him.

"You're not going alone, that would defend the point of me coming on this trip in the first place."

"And I've had enough of sitting tight and hanging back," came Connor's irritated response. If they were going to work together like Bass kept saying, then it was high time he started being included on things.

Charlie didn't wait for Monroe to agree, because he wasn't going to, and unlike Connor, Charlie didn't care. She brushed past him and shoved the door aside as she hopped down, continuing in the direction of town.

Connor's eyes followed Charlie's ass all the way into town, and Bass was the first person to notice this, a snarl forming on his face, but then relaxing. He had no idea what came over him, why he was acting so…jealous, or not jealous, because he wasn't…at least he didn't think so. He was just concerned, he already caught them shaking up one time, he didn't need to see that again.

He entered the tent ahead of them, scanning the room for Duncan, but when he came up empty handed, he went over to the table she was usually at, "I'm looking for Duncan Page, I'm—"

"Yeah I know who you are, but I don't know why you would show your face here again? You left with your life last time, what makes you think you'll be so lucky a third time," the man sneered at Bass.

His hand went to the holster where his gun was, hand itching to reach out and kill the guy. However he didn't have time to clean up a mess, so instead he just gritted his teeth and repeated his question, "where's Duncan?"

He just laughed and pointed to the exit, "At the bar doing what she does best, bossing everyone around and starting fights."

Bass didn't have to be told twice, he took a mental picture of the guy so that later he could come back and possibly kill him for the way he was talking to him, and the way his repulsive eyes zoned in over Charlie's body.

The last thing he wanted was Charlie or Connor to get caught up in the bar and get themselves into trouble, it was a Saturday night in a rowdy, dirty town filled mostly with drunken idiots that couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Hardly a place for his son, but definitely not the place for someone as pretty as Charlie.

"When we go in, just stay close," he said with stern eyes looking at Connor who wanted to interrupt again, before he silently pleaded with Charlie not to cause a scene.

She didn't say anything, but her eyes said it all, she would comply this one time to save them the trouble, but she was more than capable of handling things on her own, but by now she didn't have to point that out. Everyone knew.

As grungy and filthy as the actual town was, the bar had to be worse. No one there seemed to care, they were all either wasted or looking to get laid by some wandering hooker.

They took one look at Bass and were instantly on guard, but when they saw Charlie, primal lust took over and they forgot all about Bass and their hatred.

He could hear the slurs of their explicit pickup lines, directed at Charlie, when he passed by them. Without even thinking about it he looped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him. She didn't protest only because she would rather be defiled by a monstrous, murderous idiot she knew than one she didn't.

But Bass could visibly see that she was biting her tongue in order not to say anything, which made his mouth twitch up into a full smile.

"You won't be smiling later if you don't get your hand off me soon," came a low growl from his side to which Bass could only laugh.

Mid laughter he saw her in the back corner, along with three other men, and as soon as he recognized her, her eyes snapped up to meet his with a smirk as she looked at the arm around Charlie's waist.

Once he got closer to them, and away from the assholes at the front of the bar, he let go of Charlie and she instantly put distance between them.

"Sebastian, to what do I owe this house call? I didn't peg you as the suicidal kind, stupid maybe," she grinned at him.

"I came to get those mercenaries we were talking about, we need them Duncan."

She propped her elbows up on the table, "I seem to recall us discussing a payment you never delivered."

He sighed, "I can get you the money after we get them back to where they need to go."

Duncan laughed and shook her head, "yeah because I can always trust your word right?"

Even though she was laughing Charlie could tell that she was bitter about something that happened in the past. It was like she was speaking from experience when she said that.

"Since I'm feeling generous I'll make a deal with you Sebastian. I'll give you whatever mercenaries you need to run along and fight your little patriots with, but you have to finish one last fight for me."

It was a good deal, all he had to do was fight some poor chump and then they could be on their way without wasting any money, but something was stopping him from jumping at the offer.

It was Charlie, or rather her face when Duncan presented the offer. She wasn't a big fan of killing, and that's what these fights ended in typically.

Internally he sighed before he answered, "Okay who do I have to fight?" He didn't have the heart to look at Charlie because he knew she would be disappointed by his decision, but at least she wasn't saying anything in typical Charlie fashion.

Duncan grinned at his reluctance, eyes zeroing in on Charlie who remained with her chin held high in defiance, "I'll tell you who you're fighting after you agree, no matter the circumstances."

Red flag immediately started waving, a warning sign flashing through his brain at the added condition he had to agree to, but at this point he wasn't really sure he could refuse. They needed men, men who knew how to kill and were good at it, "okay…whatever I agree, there happy? Now tell me."

She smiled, "who you're fighting isn't important, go on and get ready," she motioned to the guy at the bar who brought something over to her. Smiling at him as he left, she turned back to look at Monroe, holding out the item in question before him.

"No." That was his only response when he took in the garment she was dangling in front of him. There was absolutely no way in hell that he was wearing what appeared to be a Santa looking suit to fight in.

Not only was that not appropriate fighting attire, not when shirtless was the usual way he fought, but he was not risking his ego, stupid as that sounded, by being caught playing dress up.

Duncan, who anticipated his refusal just smirked like she had him right where she wanted him, "suit yourself…you can either accept this or I can give you another option that I guarantee you will be worse and you won't like it. So either choose this or I'll choose the other for you."

"Why do I need a damn costume at all, this is a fight, not a Halloween party, none of these drunken idiots will give a damn."

"You see that's where you're wrong Sebastian, tomorrow is Christmas Eve…people will eat this shit up. They love holiday themed shit, throw in fighting and you've got yourself a money making commodity in the works."

Duncan was all about how to make money off of something that cost her very little so she knew what she was talking about, but that still didn't make this any better.

He looked over to Connor who was grinning like an idiot at the thought of Bass having to wear this ridiculous outfit, his own kid was selling him out. Charlie's face remained blank, but Bass could see in her eyes that she wanted to laugh at the situation, and she probably would if it didn't involved fighting.

He groaned, "Can I refuse?"

Already knowing the answer to that question he sighed when Duncan just laughed. He all but snatched the material out of her hand, stomping out of the bar like some toddler throwing a hissy fit, not caring how dumb he looked at the moment.

He was already at his trailer, and dressed before Charlie or Connor returned, both looking like they had a good laugh on the return home, "Yeah laugh it up, assholes."

He tried several times to place the hat on his head, but there was no way that shit was going to last two seconds with the way he fought, and Duncan had to have known that. That's when he came to the conclusion that she just included that bit to piss him off even more. Taking it off his head, he threw it forcefully on to the ground.

Knowing he looked ridiculous, he turned to them and pointed a stern finger in their direction, "if either one of you laugh right now, I'll kick both of your asses."

The threat was lost on Charlie who knew that he wouldn't go through with his promise, he'd be too worried that Miles would kick his ass when they got him and found out. Due to that fact, she smiled holding in laughter.

Groaning, he ignored their looks as he went around them, out of the trailer, cursing Duncan for this all the way back into town. This was beyond embarrassing, and Bass had done some embarrassing shit when he was younger, but this took the cake. He was honestly never gladder that Miles wasn't here to hold it over his head…because he would…forever.

He didn't feel as stupid when he entered the tent to see that the other yuppie had obviously been talked into wearing a ridiculous outfit as well, only he was dressed as an elf. Now he knew what Duncan meant by the other outfit, he sure as hell would rather be dead than wear that. Where the hell had Duncan even gotten these? People didn't even celebrate Christmas anymore, except for in New fucking Vegas.

Sizing him up, Bass remembered him as one of the dicks in town that was always causing problems, talking shit, but Bass had never actually seen him fight.

Duncan was right about one thing though…people ate this shit up. He had never seen this many people there to watch a fight, what kind of twisted, sick, sadistic people came to watch two men beat the shit out of one another for Christmas?

Smugly, speak of the devil, there Duncan stood watching him carefully as he entered the makeshift ring he knew his way around all too well. Her eyes flickered to something behind him, and he followed her line of sight until it landed on Charlie who looked less chipper than before, Connor of course at her side like a pathetic, lost puppy dog.

Bass turned back around towards his opponent before the thought of his son and Charlie together outraged him anymore and he wouldn't be able to focus. He didn't miss the wink that Duncan gave him when he turned back around though. It was always like she knew something he didn't, and that pissed him off.

"A very merry Christmas New Vegas, this years festivities include an appearance by none other than Sebastian Monroe and newcomer Marshall Williams," Duncan spoke with a loud, authoritative voice that enchanted everyone around her. There was nothing Duncan could do better than sell a load of bullshit to gullible people.

He zoned out when she began talking, examining the faces in the crowd, but each time he tried to stop himself his eyes landed on Charlie's, which secreted anger, repulsion, but he could see a hint of excitement in her eyes. She couldn't fool Bass, and she knew that, so she quickly looked anywhere else other than at him until the fight started and he could no longer scrutinize her.

A noise alerted him that the fight had begun just in time to dodge a sloppily flying fist that guy sent in his direction. No wonder he hadn't see this guy fight before, he was terrible.

Bass spent the majority of the time just dodging wild swings the guy kept throwing, a few of them hitting him just by pure luck, the guy sure as hell wasn't aiming for him. That almost made Bass feel sorry for him…almost.

Chants from the crowd combined with the adrenaline coursing through his veins at the thrill of the fight egged him on. There was something pleasurable about fighting; it was one of the things Bass knew how to do really well, so he did it often.

Allowing the fight to go on as long as possible to give the people a good show, finally Bass had enough of literally dancing around and went on the offense. Williams might not have been a good fighting, but he was sure as shit good at running away from fights and dodging. "Even better," Bass thought to himself, picking up the pace.

He side stepped the guy's right fist, and swung his own up, connecting with the side of his face in a blow that had him staggering back. Bass continued his assault, never once slacking on the intensity.

One by one his fists made contact with Williams' face, each time emitting a crunching sound indicative of bones breaking as the gush flowed from his nose like lava erupting from a volcano.

Williams got in one more good hit to Bass' face, the taste of copper filling his mouth as he spit it out to the side and wiped his face, before Bass took mercy on him and finished him off.

Rearing his fist back, Bass grinned to himself when Williams' face seemed to shatter before his own eyes and he went down…hard.

He barely noticed Duncan coming over to him and pulling his hand up, all for show of course, which the people seemed to love. This would be one Christmas they would never forget.

Bass stayed frozen in place for a few moments, brushing past a couple of blondes that plastered themselves against him in a seductive attempt. Disgusted he felt anything but turned on, not by them anyway.

Pouting, he sent them on their way, but one lingered over to where Connor was standing. His face lit up like a Christmas tree before they disappeared. Of course Connor would find himself another plaything to hook up with, when in New Vegas…

Speaking of, he looked around the room for Charlie, but he didn't find her anywhere, his instincts kicking into overdrive, sending him into a panic.

He knew he shouldn't have been worrying about her as much as he did, but he couldn't stop himself. She was Miles' niece and he would kill him if he let anything happen to her. That's why he was doing it…right?

Even he didn't know the answer to that question, but he loosened up when he burst through the door of the trailer, finding her sitting on a chair with a glass of familiar dark liquid in her hand.

She rolled her eyes, "chill, I just didn't feel like watching you beat the living daylights out of the guy anymore," she snapped at him.

He sighed, "I did what had to be done Charlotte, you want mercenaries right?" He took her silence as her agreeing, but he should've known better than that.

She just scoffed, "please you would make up any excuse to validate fighting and killing because you like it."

"Well it looked to me that you obviously did too," he commented, referring back to the look in her eyes before the fight began. She stood up from where she was sitting, wobbling a bit on her feet, informing Bass she was tipsy, as she invaded his personal space.

Her face contouring into disgust and hatred, "you're delusional if you think I would enjoy something like that. I'm not a disgusting monster like you," she poked a finger in his chest, moving to go around him.

Not letting her get two steps away, Bass grabbed her arm roughly in his, pulling her in closer as she pulled back with equal force, but he was stronger, "you can lie to me all you want Charlotte, but don't lie to yourself."

He had no idea where any of this was coming from, why he held onto her so tight, why he yearned to feel her body pressed up against his. He just wanted her to stop pretending that she thought he was a monster when she was just as excited about fighting as he was.

Without any time to think about the questions further, he felt his back being roughly shoved up against the counter, and that very same body he had been imaging before glued to his. She wound her arms around his neck, mouth latching onto his as she shoved her tongue forward into his. Bass could taste whiskey on her lips, but what was even more enticing was the taste of Charlie.

She ground her hips into his, moaning when her center came in contact with his dick, throbbing with want and need.

His hands cupped underneath her ass, pushing her so far into his dick, he was sure he would spontaneously combust with lust. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life, you know what they say, forbidden fruit is always the sweetest.

Moving one hand down to her knee, he hitched her leg up further on his, matching her force, until he had enough playing around. He spun them so Charlie's back was digging painfully into the counter, the hands that were gripping his hair before gravitated to the counter as his went to the waistband of her jeans, sliding them down the length of her legs.

Once at her ankles, she stepped out of them and kicked them aside, reaching her hands out to do the same with his, but all he did was swat her hands away and push her legs apart.

Running his calloused palms along the length of her thighs, he bent down on his knees and Charlie knew what was about to happen. He placed a light kiss on the front of her vagina, savoring how wet she was even though her underwear. He looped his finger though the elastic, dragging them down the same path her pants took, all but ripping them off of her.

When his tongue came in contact with her center, she threw her head back in ecstasy, moaning loudly, which encouraged him to part her lips, shoving his tongue further in. She was so wound up that her release would come quick no doubt.

After a few minutes of just fucking her with his tongue, beginning slowly, then speeding the pace up until she thought she would die, he inserted a finger, slowing down again.

She growled at the speed, but he didn't give a damn, he was going to enjoy this moment. Roughly fisting her hands in his hair, she tried her best to control the situation, but he wasn't having that.

He did feel sorry for few, so taking pity on her, he sped up the pace, adding another finger, curling them inside of her. With one last suck of her clit, she was seeing stars, as she rode out her high, rocking her hips against his tongue.

Barely giving her time to recover, he stood back up, scooping her up with one hand, her legs going around his waist as he carried her over to the bed before discarding her gently.

He peeled the bloodied, tattered suit from his body, Charlie taking in every contour of his muscles as he shoved his boxers down, tossing them to the side.

Gliding over her body, her legs resumed their previous position around his waist, both moaning when his dick brushed along her swollen sex. Swallowing her moan, he plunged his tongue into her mouth, forcing her further back into the bed as his body molded itself against hers.

Desire took over and Charlie rocked her hips against his dick, as his hands went to her waist, gripping them with a force sure to leave bruises on her delicate, tanned skin tomorrow. But that wasn't a concern for either of them now.

Matching her thrust pace for pace, he gyrated his hips into hers for a few seconds before he couldn't wait any longer.

Removing one hand from her hip, he trailed it between their bodies, smiling when he brushed a finger in her pussy and she whimpered, finally making its way to clutch his dick firmly. Without warning he plowed his dick inside of her, moans filling the room, as her hands desperately flung out trying to grab ahold of something, finally settling on his back.

Loving the sounds that were coming out of her mouth, he couldn't bear to shut them up with a kiss, so instead he trailed his lips down the column of her neck, sucking and biting every chance he got, paying special attention to right above her collarbone.

One hand disappeared into her long tresses, twisting until he heard her yelp. He looked down, instantly stopping and fearing he hurt her, but all he saw in her eyes was lust, "for the love of god…don't stop."

The threat of pain gone, he picked the speed back up, kicking it into overdrive, going all the way almost out of her before slamming back in.

She hitched her legs up higher on his waist; the change in position along with his merciless speed had her coming apart within minutes. Her hips convulsed as she screamed out his name, and that in itself was enough to send him over the edge.

He latched both hands into her hair before thrusting one last time, his body giving out as he emptied his seed into her. It was a mistake that neither of them cared about right now as Bass' mouth founds hers again in a bruising kiss.

Brushing the sweaty hair, sticking on the side of her face, aside he lightly kissed her temple, rolling off of her as he bent down to pull the blanket up on their bodies. He laid back, one arm going behind his head, the other laying at his side, longing to reach out to her, but fearful that it might send her fight or flight instincts into overdrive.

She took it upon herself to turn her head towards him, smiling as she took in the glow of this body, throwing one leg over his.

He seemed genuinely shocked when she did that, no longer trying to hold back, he looped his hand around her waist again for the second time that day and pulled her in, only this time she didn't resist.

"Ask me next year what's the last Christmas I remember, I guarantee you it'll be this one," was her last words as she fell asleep at his side. Bass laughed at her sleepy voice, but when he thought about it, he smiled. She was letting him know that she was going to stick around, at least another year anyway.

He kissed the side of her head before he drifted off into sleep along side of her. The last thoughts flowing through his mind were that all Christmases should be celebrated buried deep inside Charlie and how Rachel and Miles would take their version of gift exchanging in the form of bodily fluids. The last one was enough to almost make him laugh out loud…almost.


End file.
